Last month we talked about the ebb and flow of UFOs and the fact that there is a repeating cycle of UFO reports that occurs every year. The peak of this flow is in the summer months of June, July and August and the low point is always in the winter months of January, February and March. The other consistent thing we have seen is that we get between 6,000 and 8,000 cases reported to us each year that have happened in the same year they were reported. We also get a lot of historical cases from prior years which can skew the number of cases reported in a given year. This equates to between 500 and 1,000 UFO reports monthly.
We also mentioned that of these cases reported 30 percent remain unexplained after being investigated, and these are the reports we call “Unknowns.” The search for answers does not end there, however, but continues with the Top 10 Committee which reviews each month’s “Unknown” cases looking for the truly unusual ones that may just be extraterrestrial craft. The purpose of this team is to find our very best cases for inclusion in our annual report for that year. The team is headed by our Director of Research, Robert Powell, along with several volunteers who help dig through the data looking for the best of the best. Each case that has been closed out as an unknown is scrutinized based on multiple criteria, including, but not limited to;
Close encounters – Structured craft less than 500 feet
Multiple credible witness accounts of a given sighting
Unusual, abrupt, or extremely fast movement of the craft observed
Quality of the investigation report completed
Cases that match these criteria are then put into a Cases of Interest file to be reviewed by the team mentioned above. Each month after carefully reviewing each case, the very best from this list are moved to the Top 10 file. At the end of the year, the Top 10 file is provided to the Science Review Board for a final determination of the very best cases to be included in the MUFON Annual Report. It is a very time consuming process, but one that ultimately results in MUFON being able to put its best foot forward.
One may see our past annual reports on our website at MUFON.com. Click on the RESEARCH Tab and then select ANNUAL REPORTS. The more exciting news is that, in this issue, as a MUFON member, one is getting to see the Best cases of 2016 before the list is released to the general public and the news media. Please make sure to check out our lead story in this issue of The MUFON Journal.
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